Restoring confidence

Realism in planning, transparency of funding; the recipe for successful renewal is not that complicated, writes Ibrahim Nafie

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The Ministry of Transportation may have acted quickly following this month's rail tragedy in Qalyoub but the public remains worried. This was not, after all, the first accident of its kind. Evidence that Egypt's transport system is falling apart has been growing for some time. Few will have forgotten the fire that swept through a train bound for Upper Egypt three years ago.

After the recent tragedy President Hosni Mubarak intervened in person, allocating funds for the purchase of new locomotives and spare parts. This was not enough, though, to prevent cynical politicians and writers from attempting to score points on the backs of ordinary Egyptians. The government must do something to stop such behaviour; it is unfair for anyone to make capital out of tragic accidents. Instead we should focus on the challenges we face.

We have a problem and to solve it we must prioritise our goals, set a clear timetable for their implementation and ensure that sufficient funds are allocated for the completion of the task.

Our problem is not that we do not know what to do. Ministries are bursting at the seams with reports outlining problems and suggesting solutions. There is no paucity of such research. The problem is with action. And we can only tackle that by changing our attitude towards reform and renovation. Officials must begin to act according to plans not whim. Senior officials change all the time. They retire or they are replaced when their performance is found wanting. This is normal. What is not normal, however, is that each time a senior official leaves his post his department begins once again from scratch.

Every minister and governor should have a plan and that plan should be accompanied by a detailed timetable and supported by adequate funding. It should be followed even if the official in charge leaves his post. We cannot allow personal considerations to interfere with the regular functioning of our institutions. Timetable, clear objectives, adequate funding... its as simple as that.

Does any one not know that the rail system is in trouble? Are the officials in charge of this vital sector unaware of the sorry state of the trucks, locomotives and carriages? Of course not.

Some argue that Egypt is a poor country with a growing population and a budget burdened by subsidies. Our resources may be limited, but this is an argument for prioritising objectives, not an excuse for inaction. We need to learn how to manage reform and renewal within our limited resources. President Mubarak has led the way by deciding to finance the repair and renovation of the railways with the proceeds from the sale of Egypt's third mobile phone network.

The government must implement the president's electoral programme. If Egypt cannot address its problems simultaneously, then they will have to be prioritised. But in the absence of detailed plans we will not know where we are heading. Such plans need to cover fixed periods, maybe two years, maybe four. The officials in charge can then be held accountable should they fail to meet the targets that have been set. The process of implementation needs to be followed as it happens. Funding needs to be transparent; where the money comes from is important, where it goes is more important still. Only then will the public trust the government, and the people willing to put up with temporary hardships.

The first step for the government is to complete as yet unfinished projects. Then it must formulate detailed plans for renewal and tell us how they will be funded.